My friend Sue is an ace cook who not only throws delectable dinner parties but crafts scrumptious edible holiday gifts. Last year she treated friends and family to batches of crunchy biscotti studded with apricots and hazelnuts — perfect with coffee or chilled dessert wine for dipping. I’m sharing her recipe and two others that allow you to combine the warmth of tradition with the spirit of inventiveness.

Invite your family to don aprons and join you in producing the gifts or share your kitchen with a friend and split the costs, effort and results. Don’t underestimate the value of delivering your gift of food personally. You’ll always be welcome when you arrive with homemade delicacies and often be invited to stay and share a glass of holiday cheer.

Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make your own Irish cream liqueur. It’s delicious on the rocks or added to coffee. You may use brandy in place of Irish whiskey; Scotch whiskey and rum are not recommended. Feel free to multiply the recipe for a larger batch. (Adapted from Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson: Recipes to Bring Comfort and Joy, Appetite by Random House, October 2018.)

1 cup (250 mL) half-and-half

1 cinnamon stick

1 oz (30 g) dark couverture baking chocolate, chopped

1 tsp (5 mL) instant coffee or instant espresso

1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract (optional)

14-ounce can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (250 mL) Jameson Irish whiskey

Have ready enough clean glass jars with lids or small bottles with caps or stoppers to hold 3½ cups (825 mL) liquid.

In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat with the cinnamon stick until it is just below a simmer. Add chocolate and whisk until it has fully melted. Whisk in instant coffee and vanilla.

Remove pan from heat and let the cream mixture cool for about 15 minutes so the cinnamon can further infuse. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Whisk in the condensed milk and whiskey. Divide the Irish cream among the prepared containers. Store up to 1 month in refrigerator.

Makes 3½ cups

Maple Cranberry Chutney

Everyone associates maple syrup with Canada, but did you know that Richmond is a major cranberry producer? This versatile condiment is great with roast turkey or chicken, cold meat and curries, as an add-in to pancake and waffle batter and even over ice cream. Make a delicious Cranberry Chutney Mayonnaise by processing ¼ cup chutney with 1 cup light mayo and 1 tsp lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.

1½ cups (375 mL) pure maple syrup

1½ cups (375 mL) fresh cranberries

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

¾ cup (175 mL) raisins

½ cup (125 mL) pecans

¼ cup (50 mL) lemon juice

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped onion

¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cloves

In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring often. Ladle into 4 (1-cup) sterilized jars, cap with lids and rings and set aside until jars seal. Keeps well for up to a year.

Makes 4 cups (1 L) chutney

Apricot and Hazelnut Biscotti

The thing to remember when making biscotti is to make plenty. They keep well, make wonderful gifts and get eaten quickly, so you might want to double or triple this recipe. You may substitute toasted walnuts for the hazelnuts.

4 cups (1000 mL) all-purpose flour

2½ cups (625 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt

6 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract

1½ cups (375 mL) finely diced dried apricots

1 cup (250 mL) hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tbsp (30 mL) water

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until incorporated. In another bowl, beat 5 of the eggs, both yolks and the vanilla. Mix egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Stir in apricots and hazelnuts.

On a lightly floured board, knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes, or until evenly blended. If the dough is too crumbly to hold together, sprinkle with a little water.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a cylinder 2 inches in diameter. Place 2 cylinders 3 inches apart on each prepared pan and flatten slightly. Beat the remaining egg with the 2 tbsp water and brush each cylinder with the mixture.

Bake about 35 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and transfer dough cylinders to cooling racks for 10 minutes. To avoid breakage, slide the parchment from the pan onto the rack. Reduce heat to 325° F. Use a serrated knife to cut the cooled dough cylinders into diagonal slices no more than ¾ inch thick.

Arrange slices on sheet pans and return to oven for about 10 minutes, until they just beginning to colour. Cool completely on racks and store in an airtight container. Will keep up to two weeks.

Makes about 48 cookies

Kitchen Hack: Lux labels

For a festive look, use metallic permanent markers (available at office supply shops) to label glass bottles and jars. Your signature and the date in gold, silver or bronze really personalizes a gift bottle of wine.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

Postmedia is pleased to bring you a new commenting experience. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.